Fidan on SKAI: Erdoğan to Meet Mitsotakis in February – ‘We Want a Permanent Solution in the Aegean’

GCT Newsroom

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Thursday that a meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will take place in February, with dates currently under consideration.

Speaking to SKAI’s correspondent in Istanbul, Manolis Kostidis, during a press conference, Fidan was asked what could be expected from the leaders’ meeting. He emphasised the need “to resolve the Aegean issue permanently”.

The exchange between Manolis Kostidis and Hakan Fidan

Kostidis: Minister, I am Manolis Kostidis from Kathimerini newspaper and SKAI television. You mentioned the meeting between the two leaders. What are the expectations for Greek-Turkish relations? Compared with 1.5–2 years ago, when you took office, we are not talking about tension today, but there is some disturbance in the calm waters. Statements from both Turkey and Greece raise questions. What can we expect from the Mitsotakis–Erdoğan meeting? You have a good relationship with Mr Gerapetritis – he has said so himself – and a relationship of trust has been built. What can we expect as the next step?

Fidan: We talk about the previous or the next step, but there is one specific step: to have the intention and the will to resolve the problem. We will sit at the table and not get up until it is resolved. And that primarily means resolving the Aegean issue. On the question of territorial waters and the continental shelf, if you look at our leadership, our President has the vision and the will to resolve the matter. However, Greece’s domestic political balances do not allow its leaders to put their signature to a solution. We desire substantial meetings – not just exploratory contacts – but to make further progress and resolve this problem once and for all. There must be the will to do so, and domestic politics must be set aside in relation to foreign policy.

‘No to an attack on Iran’

In other remarks, the Turkish Foreign Minister expressed Ankara’s opposition to any scenario involving a US attack on Iran. Turkey opposes “any military intervention against Iran”, he said, adding that Tehran must resolve “its own internal problems on its own”.

“It is also in our interest for Iran to resolve its problems with major international players and to avoid scenarios of instability that could spread across the entire region.”

Fidan warned that large-scale instability in Iran “would be far beyond the region’s capacity to absorb”.

“The possibility of repeating such actions (Israeli and American attacks on Iran) is not something we approve of.”

Syria

On Syria, Fidan stated that Turkey hopes the problems there can be resolved peacefully. However, if not, he sees the use of force by the Syrian government as an option in relation to the Kurdish YPG/SDF forces.

“Stability [in Syria] must be ensured as soon as possible through the implementation of the 10 March agreement. If the YPG/SDF wish to demonstrate good faith, they must pursue a solution based on diplomacy and dialogue.”

The ‘Islamic NATO’

The Turkish minister confirmed on Thursday that talks have taken place regarding a possible defence agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, but no agreement has yet been signed.

Responding to questions at the press conference, Fidan stressed the need – as he put it – for broader regional cooperation and trust, adding that regional issues could be resolved if the countries involved “are confident in one another”.

Source: skai

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